Not Normal
by Deikage
Summary: "I was asked why I would ever be interested in you and not your brother, is it so hard to believe that I wouldn't go for something similar, that I wouldn't go for something I know, I don't want another Elijah in my life, I wanted something different, you." Damon/OC past Elijah/OC
1. Chapter 1

_Dear Diary,_

 _It's been a year since I was the new kid at school, a whole year since I started my new life in Mystic Falls and it has been so incredibly normal. Maybe that's why I haven't written, there hasn't really been much to tell, just the usual day to day life of a highschooler which included boys, girls, arguments with friends, and then there was the summer. This summer things seemed different, Elena's parents died, we lost touch after that, a lot, but I didn't want to pester her, didn't want to linger near her and ask the same questions everyone else wanted to 'are you okay?' she just lost her parents, of course she wasn't okay._

 _Then there was Caroline, we hung out quite a lot over the summer, shopping, gossiping, boy talking, that was just what the two of us did. Bonnie, well she went to see her family, and the rest of the time I spent very much alone. But now it's back to school again, the whole gang is going to be back together again and i'm looking forward to it, who would have thought I would ever day that about high school. I missed us all being together again, I missed the normality of it all._

 _And my alarm just went off. School begins, maybe if anything interesting comes up i'll write in here again._

 _Until then._

* * *

Elizabeth was quick to shove her diary away, frowning a little, once upon a time she kept a detailed diary of nearly every day of her life, but now everything was content, she was in a place that she had surprisingly come to love and she didn't ever want to leave, the people there had come to love her, they knew to give her space when she needed it, Mystic Falls felt more her home than anywhere else had. But that seemed to be enough pondering for now, she had to push herself up from her bed and get ready for the first day back. She released her blonde hair from the braid she kept it in as she slept, straightening it before her mirror. She looked like every other teenager in Mystic Falls at that moment, a small amount of class to her style, earrings that hung low from her ears, makeup that lined her eyes perfectly causing the vibrant green to stand out even more.

She was ready.

She grasped a drink from the fridge before she left, drinking the most of it before tossing the bottle away. Keys were in the usual bowl in the kitchen, a jingle sounding from them as she unlocked the door and started towards her car. Much like Mystic Falls, it too was very normal, silver in colour, rounded shape, the typical teenagers first car as far as anyone else would see, and she looked after it well enough, the engine springing to life with the turn of the key before she left her home and took to school where she was already set to meet Caroline.

Even though they were 4 girls, they each had their main, Caroline and Elizabeth were the two blondes, a year in school and that was how they were known, stuck to one another's hip and Elizabeth wouldn't have it any other way. She couldn't remember ever really having a best friend before, but Caroline was definitely that, and though they had definitely fought before, a day later they were hugging and making up like nothing had ever happened.

She had only just stepped out of the car when she as tackled by Caroline herself, a bright smile on her friends face as they stood back and looked over one another's choices for the first day back outfit.

"Very memorable, and are those..."

"The earrings you got me for my birthday, of course. Caroline, this year is going to be our year, it's decided, were going to rule the school."

Caroline beamed at her friend, wrapping an arm around her shoulder holding her phone before the two of them. A selfie, a picture of the two of them on their first day back that would most likely end up on many of her social media pages. Elizabeth wasn't one to groan or care about that though, not like Bonnie and Elena who seemed to avoid most chances to have a picture taken, they had a few good ones of the four of them on various occasions through the year, but unfortunately, not many.

With the phone stashed away Caroline and Elizabeth entered the school, making their walk down the hall simply enjoying the people that looked at them both before they went to their own individual lockers. Of course Caroline was side tracked by Elena being there, immediately going to her to talk, something that once again Elizabeth put off, opening up her locker to stash some books away, out of the corner of her eye though she saw someone, and she had thought they had been looking back but the moment she turned all she saw was back.

"It's a hot back," came Bonnie's voice from behind her, a small laugh coming from Elena as Elizabeth turned to them both.

"It's good to see you Eli, sorry about...you know, not being in contact."

"Elena you don't need to explain yourself, I wanted to give you all the time you needed. But i'm glad to see you back in the world of the living once again." Elizabeth smiled at the nickname they had given, the girls had already decided that her full name was a mouthful, Liz wasn't really her, so Eli it was. "Now, as for mister hot back, i'm sure come lunch Caroline will already know everything about him, you can count on it."

"Almost like when you started right?" Elena questioned giving her a grin.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes a little at that comment, it was true that Caroline had done the exact same thing when she had been the new kid, she had scoped out all the information she could get before asking her to come sit with them at lunch. It was strange to her at first, but then Caroline recited things she had already found out about the girl and right there and then told her that they were meant to be friends, written in the stars or something like that. It was what she loved about her best friend, she was direct about these things, didn't dance around the truth and definitely didn't hold anything back.

"Anyway, I will see you two at lunch, usual table." Elizabeth shut her locker and flashed her friends another smile before heading off to her first class. Unfortunately she didn't share many classes with her friends, something that made them a little dull from time to time, but she pushed through the first few periods, an exhausted sigh escaping her when she finally sat down at their table.

"We're only half way through the day and you already look like you want to bail," Bonnie stated.

"You try sitting next to Ken Jones who clearly forgot his deodorant this morning." Her statement earned disgusted looked from the three girls around her. "Now then, Caroline, you look ready to burst."

"Okay, so his names Stefan-"

"I bumped into him outside the mens room." Elena stated.

"The...mens room?" Eli's question seemed to be shared.

"I was in there with Jeremy, i'm just having a few too many issues with him at the moment, but yeah, I came out and bam, there he was."

"And is the front as hot as the back?"

"Eli?!"

"What? These questions have to be asked Elena."

"Well...yes, the front is probably better than the back."

It earned a grin from them all hearing that, perhaps Elena really was back and ready, though they all knew that if her and Stefan did become a thing it was going to deeply hurt the feelings of Matt. Matt was her ex, they broke up after Elena's parents had died and from all the longing looks he had been giving her through the day he very clearly wasn't over her, something Eli could understand, though she wouldn't voice anything about it, she was there for her friends and that meant not putting a dampener on new found happiness no matter where it came from.

* * *

The rest of that school day was just as normal as the first half had been, the rest of lessons went by and soon she was off home, Caroline and her talking hands free about the party that was going on that night. Apparently it was tradition, Elizabeth had been dragged to it on her first day last year, but this year she was a little more prepared for what to expect, herself and Caroline had already picked out what they were going to wear, Caroline stating that her current conquest was going to be Stefan before Elena could get her hands on him and all of that made Eli laugh a little.

"Alright Care, I just got home, i'll see you tonight okay?"

Hanging up she slipped back into the house again, draining another drink before preparing the long task of getting a teenager ready for a party with lots and lots of alcohol. None of them were exactly legal, but that didn't mean these things didn't happen, if anything they drank more than they probably would if they were actually 21, but now was the time to live and have regrets before they fell into the monotony of adult life.

Much like many other teenage girls it took Elizabeth a few hours to get ready, each hair had to be in the perfect place, any speck of dust had to be off her clothes and she quickly called for a cab to come and collect her bringing her to the party a little later than some of the others. By the time she arrived it was already loud, a few people already seeming drunk which caused her to mutter 'lightweights' under her breath before she sought out her best friend.

"So what are we drinking?" she asked, startling Caroline before she grinned and shoved a solo cup into her hand.

"It's a surprise."

At those words she drank heavily from it, the taste of hard liquor hitting her immediately which caused her to drink some more. She could handle her alcohol, perhaps a little better than most others could, but that just meant that Caroline knew exactly what to give her to ensure she still got drunk along with the rest of them.

"Elena showed up here with Stefan..."

"Are you kidding me? Damn, Matt isn't going to be happy."

"He already saw him, sized him up a little too but wouldn't really say a word to her, I don't know why she's so shocked, I mean keeping out of a relationship and then acting like she's in one. Pretty bitchy move."

"Caroline, you're clearly looking for more reasons to try and steal Stefan away," Eli pointed out giving a small laugh.

"You caught me," she replied holding her hands up before filling up both their cups again. "So...any new boy conquests from you?"

"Unless Mystic Falls gets a mister tall, dark and handsome I don't think so, I haven't exactly found anyone my type here so far."

"There's still time," Caroline assured linking Eli's arm as they walked into other groups of people to socialize.

The night was going by perfectly, and a lot better than it had done the previous year where Elizabeth had tried not to be dragged off to talk with anyone else, she'd preferred to stay close to her three new friends than try to go near everyone else, it was surprising how much could change in a year. Elizabeth herself noted her own changes, she had become a very different person to the one that had first arrived in this place, she was somewhat a queen bee at the school, reaching that status quite quickly after knocking a few people down a peg or two. That of course didn't mean that everyone liked her, but they pretended to and she could live with that.

As the music blared and people danced a voice cried out from the woods, the more it cried out the more silence there was until she heard those words.

"She's been attacked, she's losing a lot of blood."

Elizabeth could see the girl that was in question, Elena by her side helping her into the clearing, blood covering her neck where a very distinctive bite mark was. One that made Elizabeth pale a little, as she forced herself to look away from the injured girl she saw someone else with a very similar reaction. Mister hot back, Stefan, he was staring at the girl too until he caught her eye and proceeded to stare at her.

In that one moment it was as if everything else around them faded, as if all noise had completely gone and there was only the two of them staring at one another. Elizabeth knew that this was the start of something she had come to Mystic Falls to avoid, that this place was no longer going to be it's normal self after what had just happened, and that this was only the start of it all.

Stefan had looked away from her for only a moment to check on Elena once more, but when he looked up she was gone, and that told him everything that he needed to know.

* * *

It wasn't late when Elizabeth got back home, a light turned on to reveal the emptiness of her home. She never invited anyone there, avoiding anyone questioning the fact that she lived there alone, there were no parents in that place, no siblings or any sign that there had ever been any of either, there was no fruit in the food bowl, no food in the fridge, there was nothing to say about the person who lived there, but as she reached for her diary and began to write she couldn't help but raise her eyes to look around her. The bookshelves contained many other diaries too, and perhaps too many for someone who had lived a normal life, there were hundreds, each of them documenting the many years of her life, each of them a reminder of how the world had changed over those years.

She had come to Mystic Falls to find something normal, and yet somehow, who she was always caught up with her no matter how hard to tried to live normally.

And she knew exactly what had attacked that girl in the woods, the exactly same thing that she was herself.

A vampire.


	2. Chapter 2

_Dear Diary,_

 _I was wrong. I was wrong about thinking that Mystic Falls was going to be my resting place, there's another vampire in town, maybe more, and there was an attack tonight in the woods that is going to bring up many questions that i'm sure they'll eventually find the answers to. I am questioning whether I should leave, leave my friends behind and find another small town to settle in, but it's hard, in one single year i've found this place to be charming, to be somewhere I actually want to stay. It's ridiculous, one year is nothing in comparison to the years i've been alive, and to the years that I have left to live._

 _The attacker probably compelled Vicki to forget the whole thing, to forget what exactly attacked her, but somehow it doesn't always remain in the dark. And Stefan, he's the other vampire in town, he could tell what I was the minute our eyes met and I can tell he has questions, probably hundreds that he'll want to have the answers too and i'm not sure if I should even answer them._

 _I know never to trust another vampire, but he's getting close to my friends and that scares me._

* * *

Another day of school came by, though it didn't quite feel like the others, the talk of the attack was all around town and people that saw Matt on that day constantly questioned if she was okay, but from what she overheard she was still in hospital and resting, luckily she hadn't died, but it had caused Elizabeth to question other stories that had been on the news. More people had died recently, covered up by the idea of an animal attack and she could have screamed at herself for not questioning it any sooner, but she hadn't felt the need to be cautious in this place, not in the time that she had been there at least

"...vampire."

It was a single word that broke Elizabeth's train of thought, her ears honing in on the conversation it came from. Elena and Matt were talking by the lockers and clearly she hadn't been compelled to forget just what exactly had attacked her, that wasn't good, Mystic Falls had a lot of history behind it, a lot of people that probably knew of the history of vampires and how best to get rid of them and if they thought that Vampire's were back in town they wouldn't rest until every last one of them had been staked. It seemed similar thoughts were going through another's mind, a very still Stefan at a lunch table that was listening into the conversation also.

"Are you going to do something about that or shall I?"

Stefan jumped a little, not expecting her to be stood there watching him. His eyes looking over this seemingly normal looking girl, though now he knew her secret, and it seemed that she also knew his.

"We need to talk, perhaps on the way?" Stefan suggested as he rose, grasping his bag from the table as she nodded, the two of them slipping from the school without anyone even noticing they had gone.

* * *

"How old are you?"

Of course that was Stefan's first question, his eyes already glancing at her as they made their way towards the hospital. Part of him was trying to find out if she was a threat to him, if she was going to get between him and what he came to Mystic Falls for.

"742."

Her answer was simple, gave him everything he needed to know, but already he had slowed his pace, he somewhat surprised that she was older than him, that there was a vampire that old trying to live peacefully in Mystic Falls. Then there was the fact that she was in high school, surely that was something she would have bored of after so many years and yet here she was sitting in lessons as if she didn't know the answer to everything that was asked, as if she hadn't lived through most historical events and lived to tell the tale without so much of a scratch.

"And last night..."

"Wasn't me Stefan, if I was going to attack innocent people there would have been news stories for the past year of me being here. I didn't come here to create unrest and panic, i'm just hoping that you didn't come here to do the same."

"I already know it wasn't you, I have a brother that decided to return to town," his words were bitter, something Elizabeth didn't miss for a second. Rivalries between brothers wasn't something she wanted to get mixed up in, but if it meant protecting herself and stopping anyone else in Mystic Falls finding out about her then it seemed she was going to have to do just that. "I don't feed from humans, I haven't for a long time."

"You go for the veggie option, can't say I could stand the taste but good on you for being able to stick with it. I tried a few hundred years ago, but it nothing for me, I just felt weak compared the other vamps around me, and of course back then there was a lot more fighting between us all, everyone wanted to be top dog." Elizabeth paused before they wandered inside the hospital, also bringing Stefan to a halt to look at her. "I need to ask you something, whatever happens from here I don't want you to spill my secret to anyone that you might want to share yours with. I made myself a life here that I want to keep as it is, I don't want to have to leave and find somewhere else to settle down, you seem nice enough for me to ask that of you."

"I'm not here to out anyone, had my brother not come back I probably would have wanted the exact same thing, but he is the complete opposite of me and he won't listen to reason."

"Sounds like someone I want to try and avoid," Elizabeth responded with a light chuckle before shaking her head. "Come on, we need to compel her before her brother comes back."

"I don't think I ever got your name?"

"Oh, right, i'm Elizabeth Oakes," she replied with a smile, rubbing the back of her head in slight embarrassment that she hadn't once introduced herself before starting this whole talk on Vampires.

"Stefan Salvatore," with his name her offered her a hand, an offer of friendship that she happily took. She heard the name Salvatore before, but that wasn't something she needed to mention right then, instead the pair entered the hospital to seek out Vicki, and as Stefan compelled her Elizabeth remained outside the room, hissing to the male when she saw Matt appear, heading towards his sisters room.

"Eli?" he questioned spotting her outside the door.

Elizabeth checked inside the room, glad to see that Stefan had managed to get out of there before being cornered, but that did leave her to deal with the brother of the girl that lay in that room.

"Hey Matt, sorry, I just wanted to come and see her. Sounds stupid talking to someone when they're asleep but I wanted her to know that we're here for her, and you too Matt, I can't imagine it's easy seeing her like this." Her words seemed to have won him over with ease, being the caring friend came easily to Elizabeth despite the fact that she was never exactly close to Matt, if anything for her time being there he had always just been Elena's boyfriend and that was about it, but he seemed to appreciate her being there, not questioning it for a second.

"Thanks for coming, I appreciate it, I don't think she realises how many of us care about her."

Somehow from there Elizabeth was talked into spending the rest of the day with Matt, sitting with him and his sister before she finally came around and was allowed the leave the hospital. He talked about many things, about his Mom and how he'd let her know about what had happened but didn't expect her to come back, about the lifestyle his sister currently lived and how he frowned upon it, and about how he still wasn't over Elena and didn't understand how she had so suddenly decided to go for someone else that had only just arrived in their lives. Really Elizabeth couldn't offer up much, just a shoulder for him to lean on and the occasional words of comfort but as she watched the pair walk away from the hospital, her and Matt waving goodbye to one another she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Arriving home had never felt like such a relief before as she was able to change her clothes and retrieve a blood bag from her fridge to drink from. This was how she did it, she hadn't fed on a living person in the year she had been in Mystic Falls, she swore to herself that while she remained there she would take some blood bags from hospitals in the area, only enough that they wouldn't notice so that she could get by. It had worked a charm and over 700 years of being a vampire meant that she had better control of her urges than some, she was able to act like a human, become someone completely different, reminding herself that it was a good thing that she had changed and not remained the same person she had been before she came there.

No one would have liked that person. She wouldn't have made a single friend in any of the time she had been there and probably would have skipped town and continued feeding on whoever she pleased, it was a refreshing change in pace for her, and change was good.

* * *

To any high-schooler Friday was the best day of the week, it was the last day of lessons and the start of the weekend and Elizabeth could only agree with her friends as they finally locked their books away and headed to the carpark to head home. More often than not they would make plans for the weekend, but it seemed that now Caroline had a mysterious boyfriend she was nowhere to be found, it was enough to make Elizabeth frown, hoping that a boyfriend wasn't going to tug her best friend away from her for the remainder of their relationship. Though knowing Caroline and the people she had already been with, it would probably be a matter of weeks at max.

"Hey Elizabeth, can I ask you a favour?" Bonnie questioned, her voice was hushed as they allowed everyone else to continue on their way past giving the two of them the space to talk. "So, Elena invited me over for a dinner with her and Stefan, I know she's trying to get me to like him but I think it'll be a little awkward for it to be just the three of us. Can I bribe you to come with?"

It was surprising that Bonnie had actually asked her, but of course her and Caroline had their moments of bitterness towards one another, and with her being head over heels about her man it meant that she was the next option, and really having dinner with them all wasn't such a bad thing, it had been a while since Elizabeth had been over there, perhaps it would help heal the wounds of the summer. Then of course there was the fact that Bonnie had made it quite clear she wasn't so sure about Stefan, and she knew exactly why, but if she could help coax Bonnie into liking the veggie vampire then she was pretty much game, at least until he stepped a toe out of line that was.

"What time do I need to be there?"

"Oh Eli I owe you big for this!" Bonnie exclaimed, her face brightening up almost immediately. "I'll come get you at 7."

Shaking her head Elizabeth waved goodbye to her friend, unlike Bonnie she was looking forward to spending that evening with her friends, awkwardness and all, but at least her friend wouldn't be completely third wheeling at Elena's house.

Upon arriving home Elizabeth showered and got herself ready to go out, jeans and a nice shirt would do and a nice pair of heels to give her some extra height. Though she still had around an hour to go before her friend would show up at the door, that meant to turn on the news and stare at the flashing images that were displayed before her. It still amazed her how far technology had come in the recent years, but she had adapted to it all, selfies, apps, skype and all, it was so far away to the simple beginning that she'd had. The moment her thoughts started to drift to her first home she quickly stopped herself, she didn't want to allow herself to think too far back, especially not to where this had all started, those were thoughts best left buried. So she would watch the news silently, awaiting the horn of Bonnie's car to which she turned the TV off and exited her home, smiling at Bonnie as she slipped into the passenger seat.

"Let's get this show on the road," she stated buckling herself in.

* * *

The Gilbert house hadn't changed in the slightest, and though Elena seemed surprised to open the door and find both of them at the doorstep she allowed them in anyway, the two of them stepping into the home greeting Stefan who stood upright, obviously wanting to make a good impression on Bonnie. None of it went missed, but it still had an air of awkwardness around it, especially as the four of them sat around the dinner table to talk, and Elizabeth for one let the others do the talking, especially being the intruder of the night. In fact she only joined in when Bonnie started to talk about her family and her visit with Grams that summer.

"A Witch?"

"Didn't I already tell you Eli?"

"Did you forget that I have been Caroline kidnapped nearly all week?"

Elizabeth's words earned a chuckle from around the table, both hers and Stefan's attention now on Bonnie as she spoke of the family she came from and the powerful Witches she apparently descended from, something that came as a surprise to her, after all, she knew a lot about Witches and had her own fair share of issues with them, something that didn't exactly bode well if she came to become one truly herself. But Stefan spoke highly of her heritage, and of Bonnie herself, and it seemed that was all that was needed to win the little Witch over and for the air around that night to become much lighter.

"I didn't know you were coming," Stefan said as he and Elizabeth cleared the table, Bonnie and Elena were also having a conversation as they cleaned up in the kitchen leaving the two of them their own time as well.

"I wasn't exactly invited, but you managed to win her over fair and square that's for sure, I was just support, not that I think she really needed it in the end."

"Did you ever have to go through this with her?"

"With Bonnie? Not really, Caroline and me and best friends, Bonnie and Elena are best friends and that's how it's been for the past year, when the four of us come together it just always worked out, if anything i've had more issues with Caroline than anyone."

"Issues with your best friend?"

"Small little human issues Stefan, like me not helping her pick out the perfect pair of shoes for a dance, or a guy that she liked asking me to the halloween dance last year. Silly little things that make me appreciate what it was like to be a human you know?"

Stefan could only nod at that, though they were supernatural creatures he himself had tried to just blend in with the normality of the rest of the world, trying to find a place with people he should have been ripping apart not caring for. It hadn't been often that he'd found someone that had a similar love for the normality of the world around him, but he almost hoped that he would be able to become one of their group, be one of their friends and be able to enjoy the experience of this life as much as possible before he would have to leave it.

Something that would have been much easier to achieve if it wasn't for the knock on the door, and opening it revealed the last person he had wanted to see that night.

Damon.

Stefan was quick to shoot a warning glance to Elizabeth who seemed to pick it up immediately and head straight into the kitchen to avoid the other Vampire in town, she didn't know much about the elusive brother, only that he wasn't someone that would allow secrets to remain that way for very long. A trouble maker, something that reminded her of someone from the past that most definitely needed to remain there, but the commotion in the other room brought Elena and Bonnie out there leaving her alone to ponder how exactly she was going to get out of this one. She wouldn't be able to slip out unnoticed, but then again she had hope that Stefan would be able to stop Elena from inviting him and what she could hear to be Caroline in.

 _So that's who her mystery man is._

It wasn't a comforting thought in the least, and there was a high chance that the other Salvatore was already feeding on her friend just for the sake of it, maybe it wouldn't be long until he was fed up with her and he would toss her away like the others in the news. It made her hands shake at the thought, but she managed to remain in the kitchen throughout most of their conversations, not missing the harshness of Caroline's words as she spoke to Elena, as if trying to show off to her man, but from his tone of voice he was far more interested in Elena, not good at all.

"Eli? We're just cleaning up, there's still some desert left if you want any?" Bonnie said looking at her with concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine, just seemed to be getting a little crowded in there that's all."

"Well we're all moving in here for now it seems," Elena's voice came, and she was soon to be followed by a less than happy Caroline, the last person she had expected to come help with the cleaning up.

"It's fine, go get a seat, we'll finish clearing up," Bonnie said giving her a smile before turning back to the mountain of plates they had to clear up.

Entering the living room was the last thing Elizabeth had wanted to do, but with the other three glancing at her it seemed she would have to suck it up and deal with whatever came after this meeting with the other Salvatore.

Stepping into the living room caused neither brother to look to her, though as she fell into one of the seats she finally got a good look at the brother of Stefan Salvatore. He was obviously older, dark hair, dark clothes, and then there was the piercing blue eyes that looked at her at first questioning before amusement seemed to fill them almost immediately.

"My little brother forgot to mention there was another in town," he stated, glancing over at his brother for a moment before looking back at her. "And how he could forget you I don't know."

"Perhaps because I asked him to, I didn't come to this town for trouble, and you stink of it."

"Now, I haven't even introduced myself," Damon started, quick to rush towards her and have her pinned to the wall. "Damon Salvatore, at your service."

Elizabeth was glad that the clatter of plates in the other room continued as she quickly turned the tables and threw him back into the couch causing his icy eyes to narrow in on her, he clearly had issues with not being the dominant male, something she quickly noted.

"I'm older than you Damon so don't start, but I think this is my queue to leave."

"But the party is only getting started."

"No Damon, i'm finishing it, like I said, I didn't come to this town for trouble, but if you try to make some for me i'll be sure that you regret it."

Stefan looked between the two of them, surprised as the friendly wall Elizabeth portrayed to everyone crumbled almost immediately. Her words were dangerous, and ones that should have been taken seriously, and that meant only one thing, Damon was going to try and give her hell one way or another, but for now he didn't seem to push it and as Elizabeth headed towards the door Stefan followed behind her.

"Can you tell then I had to run?" Elizabeth questioned as she stepped out the door. "I can see what you mean about him."

"Don't worry, i'll say you weren't feeling to good."

Elizabeth gave a grateful nod, but didn't turn as she headed down the path.

"Elizabeth, be careful."

"Don't worry about me Stefan, i'd just keep a close eye on him if you can, i'd really hate to have to kill your brother."

Once again Stefan was stunned, no words could even come to mind that he could say back to that, but she clearly hadn't waited for any as she was suddenly gone from the street. It made him frown though, questioning himself if it had been such a good idea to come back there knowing that he was allowing too many people to get caught up in his mess, and Elizabeth, someone he thought was similar to himself seemed to have two very different sides to herself, Damon was threatening the peace that she had wanted and Stefan wasn't too sure he wanted to see this other side of her truly come out and make his brother her enemy.

"Well she was feisty," Damon commented as the door was shut, earning a small glare from Stefan who resumed him seat. "Now don't worry your pretty little head, besides, there are more interesting people in town right now."

Stefan knew his eyes were on Elena, something that made his blood boil even more and his brother knew it. Just when was this going to end, when were they going to be able to put aside their differences and just be able to live.

Not anytime soon apparently.


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth didn't sleep the night after meeting Damon, she'd received texts from her friends making sure she was okay, all of which she ignored for the moment, they thought that she was ill, perhaps would believe she had gone to sleep the moment she had got in. That was exactly what she wanted though, she wanted the time to herself to collect her thoughts on what had happened on that first week back at school, the week that proved this year wasn't going to be the same as the last. For one, she wasn't the only Vampire in town, now there were three of them, one of them considerably more dangerous than the others, one that had already killed and would probably continue to kill until he'd had enough fun.

The worst part was that it was who they were, as a Vampire that was what they did, they were killers, they fed on people and the way that Damon acted was just a Vampire without control, something that any of them could have been if they just gave in to the feelings that plagued them 24/7. It took years of practice, years of hard work and Elizabeth knew that all too well from her own experiences, in fact being in Mystic Falls was the biggest test of her control so far, not that you could tell at least.

* * *

 _'P-Please don't kill me...'_

 _The wavering voice did nothing, the sweet pleas coming from a woman knowing her end was about to come, and Elizabeth didn't care. The veins around her eyes were dark, lips quivering, fangs showing. So many compelled their victims to keep quiet, to stand still and not make a sound, but as her fangs sank into the delicate flesh of the woman's neck a scream rang out into the night._

 _It took a long time for the screams to die down, until they became a weak whimper._

 _'S-Stop...'_

 _Those were the last words spoken, the body fell limp in Elizabeth's arms, which she held in place as she continued to drain the body until she allowed it to collapse at her feet, her eyes wide and shiny._

 _Elizabeth wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, licking up the blood off it before she turned to leave the alley._

 _She wasn't done, in fact, that one had just been the appetiser, it was going to be a good night, that much she knew._

* * *

That night she had drained over 50 people, a real bender in a time where Vampire Hunter's weren't so common and there had been no one to stop her, of course that didn't mean that news hadn't spread, she'd had to leave the night after knowing that as soon as her killings were heard of the Hunter's would be there, searching for the Vampire that had caused so much devastation. By the time they had arrived she was out of the country, moving onto fresh pastures, new people, new accents, a whole new world for her to feast upon, but those lands came with their own risks in the form of the first group of Witches she had ever met.

Shaking her head Elizabeth brushed her hair out of her face, ever since Stefan and Damon had shown up she had been over thinking about the things that she had done in the past, something she knew wasn't constructive, but it was also something she tried not to face now, things had changed, she had changed and those days were behind her now.

Tightening her running shoes she checked her phone, sure enough some messages from her friends, including one from Bonnie that caught her attention.

 _B: Dateless for the founders ball, friend date?  
_

 _E: Sounds like a plan, shall we dress to match? ;D_

At least she had plans now, but she tossed her phone back down for the moment, headphones shoved into her ears as she left her house turning her iPod on to listen to some music as she jogged around the neighbourhood. Naturally she didn't need to work out, she didn't need to do any real form of running since she could already run faster than anything natural in the world, but in this normal life she was living it helped to continue to make her feel human, helped her cravings, at least until she ran straight into a hard chest that caused her to breathlessly remove the plugs from her ears.

"Sorry, eyes were on the road."

"Now why would you need to be going for a jog?"

The voice was smooth, teasing, and of course belonged to one Damon Salvatore, the last person she had wanted to see that morning after everything else that had happened, after all that had been running through her mind these past few days.

"Why would you care? Shouldn't you be off making your brother's life a misery?" Elizabeth retorted, her eyes once again narrowing on him.

"Got me all figured out haven't you? Can't a guy walk the streets without doing anything suspicious?"

"Not if that person is you apparently, so what do you want?"

"Well you see, what I want is to know why a 700 year old Vampire is in Mystic Falls, attending high school and trying to act as if she isn't a killing machine?"

"That's honestly none of your business Damon, i've been here for a year now without any problems, i've already told you, start making problems and you'll regret it, do I need to make myself any clearer? Stay away from me." Her words were icy when she spoke to him, but already she had come to dislike the older Salvatore brother, he was the complete opposite of Stefan in so many ways, his heart as frosty as his eyes apparently.

"So cold, in case you haven't noticed I haven't actually done anything to threaten your apple pie life? Or is existing a crime to you too?"

"You killed people here, risked outing me to the rest of the town that would mean i'd have to jump ship and move on when i've only just settled, that would be considered a crime to me sorry."

"Well then you'll be happy to know that the animal attacking those people has been killed, a mountain lion apparently, fancy that."

Elizabeth could only roll her eyes at that, though it didn't make a lot of sense as to why he would cover up what he had done, unless there was some more unfinished business he had to attend to here. Then that would mean he had plans to stay in town a lot longer than he had hoped.

"Shame I wouldn't see you at the founder's party tonight though, i'm sure you'd look ravishing in a pretty dress," Damon smirked, his flirting tone seemed to come with any conversation with him, hell he probably flirted with anything that moved.

"Well you're in luck, best friend dates come in handy, now if you don't mind, I have a run to finish."

Just as she was about to put her headphones back in her forearm was grasped, once again bringing her eyes back to his again.

"You can save me a dance, i'm sure Caroline won't mind."

With those words he was gone, leaving her stood on her own to contemplate just what exactly had happened. Damon Salvatore had asked her to dance at the founders ball, something that didn't exactly make much sense to her, even as she ran she was trying to figure out as to why he had said that to her when he clearly had little interest in her, he'd seen the way he looked at Elena, clearly trying to steal her away from his brother, and then there was the fact that he was with her best friend. This was going into major drama territory that she wasn't sure she wanted to dip her toes into.

* * *

The founders ball wasn't exactly a dream, despite the yellow dress she worse and the effort she had put into her appearance her and Bonny were sat on their own outside watching everyone else around them as they talked, drank and danced. It seemed neither one of them were really feeling the same fun as everyone else, after all Caroline was with Damon, and Elena was with Stefan and their two other girlfriends weren't exactly a priority.

"I'm going to sneak a glass of champagne, do I need to grab two?" Elizabeth questioned looking at Bonnie whose mind was obviously elsewhere.

"Eli, we're not supposed to be drinking...but...I won't say no."

Giving a grin Elizabeth got up from her seat, making her way inside to an unguarded tray of champagne flutes.

"Little young to be drinking aren't we?"

That was the second time that day that Damon had managed to catch her unaware, only this time she chose to ignore him as she picked up the two glasses and brought them outside to Bonnie. She thought he would have gotten the message by now, but really all she had done was cause yet another smirk to come to his lips as he watched her join the table with her friend, he couldn't quite put his finger on what he liked about her, perhaps the fieriness he managed to bring out in her that completely opposed her usual attitude, perhaps it was the fact that she denied him even a little insight into her life, she was a mystery to him, and he wanted to see into her mysterious life and find out who she really was.

"I swear if Damon Salvatore speaks to me again I may have to rip my hair out."

"What's his whole deal anyway, the way he is with Caroline while oggling Elena, he has bad news written all over him."

"Tell me about it Bon," she muttered bringing her glass to her lips, sipping at it lightly. "Him and Stefan are complete opposite ends of the spectrum, caring a nice, selfish and needy, at least Elena picked the better of the two."

"Cheers to that," Bonnie replied clinking their glasses together. "Hey, i'm going to the bathroom, catch you inside?"

Elizabeth gave a nod to that, smiling at her as she continued to sip at her drink, her eyes now back on the rest of the people in the garden, foot moving gently to the sound of the music that played around her. It reminded her of the many parties she'd been to in the past, of the merrymaking and drinking and well dressed people who danced and talked the night away, though that had never been her scene despite the many events she'd been to in her life, she'd often tried to avoid them like the plague.

"Little miss antisocial aren't we?"

"Do you have nothing better to do? Why aren't you with Caroline or something?" Elizabeth questioned looking over her shoulder at Damon.

"I asked you to save me dance, maybe i'm here to call it in?"

"In case you haven't noticed Caroline is my best friend, i'm not going in there to dance with you and shove it in her face since i've noticed every time she asked you said no."

"No one said we had to dance in there."

His words were the last thing she heard before he surprisingly pulled her away, bringing her to a more secluded part of the garden. There the music was still loud, but no one else was there to see him attach a hand to her hip and take her hand with the other.

"What do expect to gain from this Damon? I'm not going to fall at you feet overcome with love."

"Maybe that's the point, you're a Mystery to me, in fact I had to ask Caroline to even get your name, and everything she knows about you i'm assuming isn't true, hell, she still thinks your parents are alive."

"And you think from one dance i'm going to tell you everything?"

"Not everything, but I think we can find a place to start."

Shaking her head they fell into silence, moving carefully to the music on their own little dance floor.

"My parents, they died the day I was turned. Though not at the same time as me."

"And who turned you?"

"I'm not at the liberty to tell you that much Damon, like you said, we just found a place to start."

"That wasn't much of a starting place, I thought it was quite obvious that your parents weren't around anymore. How about your life as a human, where did you first call home?"

That question surprised her just a little, with so many years under her belt people seemed far more interested in those than the simple life that she had lived before, it wasn't an exciting tale like much of the rest of her life had been. But she sucked it up and decided to answer this one question.

"England, I was born in England and stayed there for some time before moving on, what of yourself? Has Mystic Falls always been your home baby Vamp?"

Damon obviously wasn't happy with the new little nickname she had given him, but he chose to ignore saying something about it for now.

"Yes, myself and Stefano were here at the original founders ball, our names still on the register inside which sparked up a few questions."

"Let me guess, Elena? She's not stupid you know, it's only a matter of time really until Stefano decides to blurt out the truth to her when she starts asking questions."

"And yet somehow no one suspects a thing when it comes to you?"

"That's because I'm careful Damon, I'm not an idiot that goes around leaving obvious signs as to what I am for everyone in this town to see. I know my history, I know that this place isn't ignorant to Vampires which is probably why they all stay away now."

"And that's why you came, because only an idiot would come back to Mystic Falls as a Vampire, it could be a death wish."

"Exactly, I managed to cover all bases when it comes to hiding what I am here, and surprisingly I enjoyed this normal life that I've been living."

"You remind me of Stefan when you say things like that, dying to fit in with the humans when that isn't ever possible given what we are."

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head, far too glad for the song to come to an end so she could break away from Damon and stand opposite him, she was trying to read him, trying to find out just what exactly he was thinking. But she got absolutely nothing from it.

"Thank you for the dance Elizabeth, we should do it again sometime."

"This was a one time thing Damon, maybe you should get back to your girlfriend and the rest of the party."

Smirking Damon went to move away, walking a couple of feet before looking over his shoulder.

"Caroline isn't my girlfriend.

"No, let me guess she's just your play thing? If you try to kill her, try to harm her in anyway Damon I will come after you, trust me on that, I'm not a fan of Vampires like you."

"Pretend all you like, but eventually this little facade will fall away and show the rest of Mystic Falls your true colours, and when that happens the only one who will relate, the only one who will enjoy that side of you, will be me."

When he finally left her she just felt frozen to the spot, he spoke about how she was a mystery and yet spoke of this other side of her as if he knew everything already. It made her wonder if he was right about that? That this little world she had created for herself was about to crumble around her and her bare for all her friends to see. She refused to go back a step after all this time, but she didn't know how easy that would continue to be.


	4. Chapter 4

Elizabeth was glad that she hadn't heard anything from Damon since the day of the founders ball, though she couldn't help but notice the worried glances that Elena and Bonnie were giving Caroline nearly every time she passed them in the school halls. Maybe they didn't like the idea of her dating Damon, or maybe they were just really against the sexy car wash she had been planning as a fundraiser, either way she confronted Caroline about it who simply brushed her off stating that they just had some issue with her and were trying to force her to blurt something bad about Damon out so they could hate him even more. Perhaps had Elizabeth been any normal student in the school she would have believed that, but knowing what they were lead her to believe that something different had transpired between them all and she just wasn't in on it.

"So yellow two piece or red?" Elizabeth asked Caroline as they left class.

"I'd say the yellow, very sunshine and i'm a happy go lucky kind of girl, but you know, with added sex appeal."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the idea of that opening up her locker to shove her books back inside it. Normally it would have been slammed shut and the pair would have left school immediately, but a folded piece of paper lay inside her locker that someone had clearly slipped in.

"You go on ahead, I left one of my books back in class," Elizabeth urged Caroline who simply shrugged and left the school without her. It gave Elizabeth the space to open up the little note and see what was written inside, it wasn't the first time she'd had a note inside her locker, Tyler Lockwood had once tried to convince her to skip class so they could 'meet out back', something that was screwed up and tossed into the bin before his very eyes, but this one wasn't a booty call, or even some sappy love note.

 _We need to talk._  
 _\- Stefan_

It was direct and straight to the point at least, though she did wonder if this was once again going to have something to with Damon, someone that was proving to be more trouble than he was worth at the moment. They were Vampires, she couldn't ignore that fact, and Damon didn't set himself any rules in Mystic Falls, he was probably feeding on Caroline, probably killed everyone who had gone missing recently, but Elizabeth didn't see what else there could be to talk about with the younger Salvatore brother.

* * *

The Salvatore Boarding House wasn't easily missed, it was large, over the top and definitely the kind of place she could have imagined the pair of Vampire's living, but knocking on the door she couldn't help but feel a little unprepared, a year ago she would have taken any other Vampire as a threat, she wouldn't have casually shown up at their home and knocked on the door without having a vial of vervain in her back pocket in case of any trouble. It was yet another thing that made her feel that this town had been turning her soft, but then the alternative was that this place had just become another feeding ground for her, she wouldn't have made her friends, wouldn't have gotten to know these people, and wouldn't have met the Salvatore brothers, which she still questioned if it was a good thing or not.

"You wanted to see me?" she stated as the door was opened, Stefan's lips were tightly closed, a nod coming from him as he stepped aside to welcome her in. "So what's this about?"

"Do you want a drink?" he asked holding a decanter up, he had already taken to filling the two glasses laid out up giving her no reason to answer.

"Stefan? What is this about?"

Once again the younger Vampire didn't respond, he handed her a drink before settling down into the sofa to which she also settled down awaiting him to finally lead into the story as to why he had brought her out to visit him in the first place.

"It's Damon..."

"I figured that much, and from the way Bonnie and Elena have been acting at school i'm guessing this also has something to do with Caroline."

"He's out of control Elizabeth, I took my chance to stop him and I used it, i'm lying to Elena saying that Damon just left when-"

"When he's in your basement choking on vervain. You don't have to explain to me your reasons Stefan, he's your brother after all."

"But Damon's mess becomes our mess, that's why I needed you to know."

"I know you're trying to be this hero here Stefan, that Damon's the bad brother and you're the good but I didn't come to this town to start cleaning up someone else's mess. He got close enough to getting your family outed by feeding on Caroline, i'm not being a part of this to allow the same to happen to me too, the second he gets out there, which i'm betting he will, he will come for you and try to get you where it hurts and i'm not getting dragged into that and having it fall back onto me too."

"But we're the same..."

"Stefan, we are not the same, just because i'm here not feeding on the humans that live here doesn't mean we're are in any way similar to one another. When it comes to Vampires I look out for myself, I don't look out for you or your brother and I need you to know that. Either one of you puts my friends in danger and you will regret that Stefan, that's a promise," Elizabeth responded sipping on her drink. "I don't trust other Vampires, and i'm not about to start."

"I...understand that, I just wanted you to know that i'm taking care of it, what my brother has done, and what he does, I will stop it before it goes too far."

"You'd better Stefan, now, i'm going to go have a word with the starving older brother."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not about to release a starved Vamp on the town Stefan, stop worrying," Elizabeth rose up from her seat and settled her empty glass down, working her way through the home following the sounds of Damon in the room below. She had no doubt that he had been listening to their conversation, and he knew that she was on his way down there, in fact he proved as much as his deep chuckle filled the hall as she wandered towards the room, peering between the bars on the door to look at the weakened man on the floor inside.

"Well aren't you a woman on a mission, blowing off my brothers alliance like that, cold," Damon muttered with a smirk as his eyes settled on her.

"And since you heard everything I said to him I don't have to repeat my reasons for you to hear too."

"Then why did you come down here? So you could see me suffering?"

"No, I came here with a warning..." Elizabeth had reached for the lock on the door, opening it up to allow her to step inside to which Damon had already tried for his chance at escape, something that was stopped with ease by a hand that roughly found it's way to his neck, slamming him against the wall of his prison. "I warned you Damon, I said I didn't want there to be any trouble and you bring it straight to the people i'm closest to. You're lucky i'm giving you a second chance, because trust me, i'm not a woman who gives second chances. You step a toe out of line and i'll give you eternal misery, so whatever plan your cooking up, whatever ideas are going through that head on yours, stop them, stay in here like a good little boy and deal with your brothers punishment or you'll have mine."

Despite the force on his neck, despite the snakelike words that slipped from her mouth Damon didn't seem phased in the slightest, if anything she could feel an air of excitement around him which was far from the reaction she had wanted.

"Y-You were right with what you said to Stefan, you're nothing like him, at least i'm honest with my intentions, b-but you, you're covering yourself up with roses and perfume like it will hide who you really are. Funny really, that you're the one telling me to behave, how long before you snap, i'm sure this year has been a long one, and it's only just getting started," Damon whispered to her, with each word he pushed his lips closer to her ear until she could feel his breath on it that caused her to shiver involuntarily. His words scared her, and he knew it.

Elizabeth quickly threw Damon back roughly in the wall, exiting the room and locking it shut with haste as he continued to tease her as she raced from the hall and then the house altogether. Stefan had tried calling out to her, tried to stop and find out what had happened down there, but already she was gone and he was heading down the steps she had come from.

"What did you say to her?" Stefan shouted through the door to which a laugh flowed from. "This isn't a joke Damon, what did you say?"

"Oh Stefan, you need to lighten up, after all, i'm the one locked up in here."

Stefan grit his teeth at those words, a fist hitting the wall outside the room in annoyance.

"Fine, i'll tell you oh angered one, the truth."

"What?"

"I told her the truth Stefan, a truth that she's trying to hide from and I really can't understand why."

At that Stefan frowned, looking through the door at his brother who he found to be staring right back at him.

"Don't tell me you're falling for that little act to brother, I thought you were better than that, then again, I do seem to be able to bring out the best in people."

* * *

It was the second time that Damon had brought it up, the second time that Damon had gotten under her skin and it was driving Elizabeth crazy, she should have been focussed on the car wash she was getting ready for and instead her mind kept wandering over those words again and again. She knew that she had changed herself to fit in, that she had become a completely different person since arriving at Mystic Falls, but she hadn't struggled with it until he had stepped into her life and persistently brought it up, it was as if all this armor she had collected over the years was useless when it came to him and she was simply left there standing naked as his bullets hit her. Her blood supply was running out much quicker than usual, she was becoming more easily agitated, but she still cared, and maybe that was where Damon would be wrong about her, she cared for the friends she had made, the humans that had entered her life and she wasn't about to take them for granted.

With the straps of her yellow bikini tied around her neck she left, covered up in a short dress that would allow her to at least look not quite so naked as she travelled there, and sure enough as she pulled up Caroline was already ordering around all the others that had arrived before her.

"Sorry i'm late," Elizabeth said as she jogged up to Caroline, the other blonde forced a smile to her face as she handed her clipboard over.

"Don't worry about it, takes time to look that sexy. Now then, as my second in command I need you to get this lot sorted while I go grab some more supplies from inside, and good luck with them, some on them clearly woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Caroline gave her a quick smile before she left leaving Elizabeth to turn to the rest of the team.

"You already know what you're supposed to be doing, so get to it," Elizabeth stated giving a sickly sweet smile to which groans erupted. "Are you kidding me, this is a charity so do your jobs, and do them well."

Her tone snapped a little, her pupils widening for a moment before returning to normal as the group without question turned and went about their work.

"Workers not being cooperative?"

The voice from behind her was very obviously Stefan, and she had no doubt that he was judging her for compelling them to do their job instead of just trying to motivate them, but the last thing she needed that morning was to deal with him.

"You'll be working with Elena, i'm sure you don't have any problems with that?"

"Listen...about-"

"Stefan, if I avoided it when I left i'm not about to talk about it right now. It's okay, your brother's just good at getting under my skin."

A frown came after her words but he gave a small nod anyway deciding not to press the matter before he went to start cleaning some cars alongside everyone else that had already started on their work.

Elizabeth was relieved that Stefan didn't press her any further, continuing on her job as she looked over the list of people before ensuring that everyone was doing their jobs, she was glad to pass the clipboard back over to Caroline again when she showed up, bringing her dress up over her head so she could join Matt on their car.

"Nice bathing suit, not sure the necklace really goes with it though," Matt mocked, his eyes on the ornate piece of jewellery that hung around her neck to which Elizabeth threw a soaked sponge at him which at least earned a laugh from him.

"As Caroline said, it's very sunshine and happy go lucky," Elizabeth said putting on her best impersonation.

"I don't know about that, but yellow suits you at least, though i'm pretty sure for any event you never wear any other colour."

"Why Matt, I didn't think you paid that much attention to my clothes," Elizabeth teased as she rubbed down the back of the car.

"It's hard not to, I think you're the only girl in school who goes to a dance in bright yellow and doesn't look like a giant highlighter."

Rolling her eyes a little at his words she looked over to the seat where Caroline should have been, surprised to find Elena sat there instead.

"Wonder where Caroline went?"

"Not sure, but I do know this car isn't going to clean itself," Matt retorted.

Elizabeth shrugged off the feeling that crept up her spine, giving a nod towards Matt as she continued to work on scrubbing down the car though perhaps it would have been better if she had gone after Caroline, if she had followed her to the Salvatore house before Damon was free instead of leaving when all the others did, sitting down for a drink at the Grill with Matt talking her ear off. But maybe she wouldn't have wanted to be there when Elena turned up at the door with only one question at her lips.

"What are you?"


End file.
